The Fairy's Tail
by M.L. Groves
Summary: It was a story everyone knows. How the Dragonslayer returned home one day with a blonde girl in tow that soon became a friend inseparable to him, but what would have changed if a certain Take Over Mage hadn't been gone for those two years? A re-telling of Fairy Tail with a twist: Lisanna Centric.


**I should really be updating "Dragon Bond" and getting that sequel to "The Perfect Stranger" out, but once this idea struck me, I just had to run with it first!**

**I'm playing off of the question, "How different would the beginning of Fairy Tail be if Lisanna hadn't 'died' and gone to Edolas?" I have a feeling someone else may have tried this before, though I can't remember any specific ones that I've read. If there is one out there, I apologize if I took your idea! I just wanted to write my own spin on it.**

**A warning for Nali fans- this is not a Natsu/Lisanna one-shot. I wanted to play with this idea in order to see how Natsu and Lucy may still end up together as partners- and possibly more in the future.**

**Also, I apologize ahead of time for any grammar mistakes or misspellings. I did look through it and try to correct it myself, but am pretty sure I missed a bit. This was a lot harder to write than I thought it would be and I just got tired of looking at it. I'll most likely go back and edit it some time soon.**

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><p><em>The contents herein are by no means owned by this poor, starving writer and belong to those who have created the greatness that is Fairy Tail.<em>

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><p><strong>The Fairy's Tail<strong>**- Special Twist**

East of the Fiore Kingdom was the Town of Magnolia. It was a large town for trade with a bustling population of well over sixty thousand. The city was known for its rich markets, rainbow Sakura trees and comfortable homes; and Towering in the center of the city was Kardia Cathedral. Its beautiful architecture was one of the many things that attracted tourists. However, if you were to travel past it , towards the other side of Magnolia, you would find the only Wizard Guild in the area.

Fairy Tail.

It was a bustling guild with many patrons drinking and chatting in comfort. At the same time many wizards ran back and forth from the job board, looking for missions to perform. It held a friendly atmosphere despite the smell of alcohol and smoke that permeated the air. Amidst the crowd, one of the many patrons of the guild held his hands up and shouted across the many tables, "Hey Lisanna! Could you bring three beers here?"

For most waitresses, it would be difficult to hear over the constant chatter, but with practiced ease, the take-over mage, Lisanna Strauss, tossed her head back and smiled brightly in her guild mate's direction. "Coming right up!"

She sifted through the crowd, holding a tray over her head as she went while briefly making comments and joining conversations. Being all members of the same guild, she was welcomed at each table she passed and many shifted their legs out of the aisle as she walked by, mindful of her right leg that slightly dragged behind as she walked.

Lisanna was once a well-known mage in the guild, but after a freak accident on a mission with her siblings, she had been left with an injured leg that had never been the same. She moved at half-speed and it was tough to take on harder missions. To help her family, she began working for the Guildmaster and had settled into a comfortable niche.

As she made her way through the crowd, a pink puff cloud of smoke wafted in front of her, stopping her in her tracks as her eyes followed its movement. The smoke twisted and curled until it became a huge heart that floated across the aisle to the next table. Lisanna watched as it danced directly in front of her sister, Mirajane who was sitting alongside Elfman, her brother.

The creator of the smoke hearts puffed a few more from his cigarette and smiled wistfully. "Hey there, Mirajane! Care to let me be your next date?" Shaking her head Lisanna placed a hand on her hips and sighed in exasperation as many others yelled at the man.

"Oh Wakaba, honestly..." Smiling gently, her sister spun herself to face the man and waved a hand in front of them. Immediately her fingers blurred along with the rest of her body as she quickly transformed into what looked to be a very robust woman with pink dimples and a mass of curly hair. "Aren't you already married?"

"Hey! Don't turn into my wife!"

Pounding a fist to his chest, the much larger sibling of the three laughed, "That's what you get old man!You're not man enough for my sister!"

Lisanna joined the laughter as she waved the smoke ringed hearts away while Mirajane's quickly changed back to normal. The sisters met eyes for a moment and winked at one another. Once upon a time, the elder sister had been known as one of the strongest females in the guild. Many still did not dare to anger her, but her temperament had died through the years after Lisanna's injury, leaving behind a kind woman who didn't hesitate to defend herself and others. It made Lisanna glad to know that her older sister would always stick around despite her bum leg.

As she finally broke away from the group chatting around Mirajane, Lisanna was just making it to the guild member who had asked for drinks when an ear breaking echo smacked against the walls from the force of the main doors being kicked open. Recognizing the sign of one of her favorite wizards returning home, the white-haired waitress felt glee swell up inside as she spun to face the entrance.

"WE MADE IT BACK ALIVE!"

"Aye! We're back!"

Stomping into the hall, Fairy Tail's own Natsu the Dragon Slayer made his entrance without a care in the world to his interruption. His travel bags were still on his back and his constant cat companion, Happy, waved to the guild by his feet. Both looked to be in high spirits as they perused the hall. Placing the drinks down, Lisanna quickly raised a hand to greet them.

"Welcome back, Natsu!" She shouted and heard the echoes of other members follow right behind her. She moved to greet him, but stopped short as she watched the spectacle unfold.

A few members were laughing at the front of guild, calling the pink-haired boy out on his escapades in Hargeon. He had only left a few days ago, following a rumor supposedly about his missing father and it was no surprise to Lisanna that he returned empty handed. It was disappointing, but not surprising. It wasn't long after that he'd sprung upon the laughing guild members, causing the beginnings of an all out brawl.

"You creep! That info you told us on Salamander was all lies!" He shouted, sending a few guild mates flying through the tables.

"There it is. The moment Natsu returns, the place is in danger of going to pieces!" Mirajane's amused voice rose above the den.

"The place is already going to pieces, Mirajane!" Wakaba shouted, dropping his cigarette to the floor.

As Natsu kicked another guild member's face, one of the larger men shouted out,"Look out! Happy's dive bombing us from the air!"

What once was a sudden silence broke out into a plethora of shouts and curses as fists were raised and chairs flew through the air. Food was tossed in all directions and the ruckus of Fairy Tail began again. Things always did get louder once Natsu came home. It would normally bring a smile to Lisanna's face as she always looked forward to seeing him each day, but she couldn't bring it to meet here eyes this time.

Watching the chaos, she lowered her hands and stared at the entrance doors, unsure exactly of what she was seeing. Following behind Natsu, ,was a girl of golden hair, staring much as Lisanna was at the fight breaking out. She gripped her suitcase in nervous anxiety even as her jaw dropped at the ruckus taking place around the room.

Lisanna heard when Natsu's main rival, Gray, charged across the hall to battle, ignoring his state of undress. She listened as Cana, the drunkard, gurgled through her barrels of liquor and wasn't surprised to hear her brother shout something about "being a REAL MAN!" before being subsequently knocked back by the raging fists of the boys. It was a normal, every day occurrence in the guild. Something Lisanna took solace in. She didn't even bat an eyelash when the playboy Loke took charge into the throng while being cheered on by his current girlfriends.

Only one thought was in her mind, and it was by far the most shocking one of them all. _Natsu brought a girl home?_

Her name was Lucy. Just Lucy. Though it had been a little strange to not be given a last name at the same time during an introduction, Lisanna nor Mirajane questioned it. She was obviously shocked by the rambunctious display of the guild upon entering and it felt only right to extend a hand towards her in friendship. Even if her mind was still boggled by the incomprehensible fact that Natsu actually invited someone into the fold.

He wasn't mean to outsiders of course, but the Dragon Slayer Lisanna had known since childhood was very picky about who he let close to him. Especially if the well-known Guild Emblem wasn't tattooed somewhere on the person. As the guild's brawl carried on, the barmaid watched as the girl had stumbled to the floor in her surprise and was greeted by Mirajane. She watched as her sister smiled to the blonde and felt all her confusion fall off of her like a blanket. It didn't matter that she didn't understand. What mattered was that this girl could become their new family member and should be welcomed properly.

That was how Lisanna came to meet her, even as chaos erupted around them and bottles of ale flew at them like raging bottles of drunken destruction. Mirajane almost transformed herself to end the fighting, but once magic erupted into the fighting, it took no time at for the Master to intervene. A small part of Lisanna was amused by Lucy's terror upon seeing him in his giant form. Just a small one and she couldn't help, but smile at the girl.

She was obviously enamored with the guild, but had no idea what she would be in store for. If she had to guess, the girl had gleaned all her information through the Sorcerer Weekly magazine and that could hardly be accounted for accurate...

"Natsu! In bringing down the Devon Bandit Clan, you destroyed seven private homes! You brought down the Tuly Village's historic Clock Tower! The town of Freesia's church is completely destroyed and the..." As Makarov scolded them, Natsu most of all, her amusement grew tenfold as the blonde's mouth almost unhinged itself.

"You mean.. all those things I read about was HIS doing?" She had asked, more to herself than anything, but Lisanna's giggling was all the answer she needed.

"Yup! That's Natsu for you." Shocked, a little unbalanced, but all in all, she could tell the girl was nice and excited to be there... if not an obvious fan.

Not long after Makarov's speech to the guild, the earlier brawl had simmered down back to its usual friendly chatter as the many tables and chairs in the hall were set back in their places. Lisanna made a mental note to order more as she eyed the less crowded areas, thinned out by destroyed furniture. It was a pain at times, caused by the constant fighting, but she couldn't bring herself to be annoyed by it. It was home after all.

Smiling brightly, Natsu had made his way to her with excitement glittering in his eyes. "Hey, Lisanna! I'm back!"

She returned the grin and shook her head, "I couldn't help, but notice with how you barged in here, silly. So, the rumor was a bust after all?"

The sad look that crossed his face for a mere second betrayed his excitement before the Dragon slayer shook his head. "Nah, but next time for sure!"

"Yeah, he was dumb enough to think a dragon would appear in a city!" Happy interjected, hovering beside them as he, too, greeted her. "He's so dumb, I don't understand why you're friends with him."

"Hey, Happy! You thought he'd be there too!"

"No I didn't!"

"You so did!" Watching the two bicker, the waitress covered her mouth with a laugh and quickly set about to getting his usual meal ordered for him. It had become customary for him to greet her once he'd returned home and he never failed to order off his special menu. Everything on fire was just the way he liked it.

Before the boy could argue with his cat more Lisanna interjected with a shake of her head. "Stop arguing, you two. You should get along!" Seeing them freeze at her admonishment, she quickly slid his meal onto the counter for Natsu and patted his shoulder, just above his guild mark. "Anyway, you know I think you'll find him too! Though, I didn't expect you to come home with a new friend..-"

She'd barely started to question him when his features, once annoyed by the teasing of his cat, blew up to his usual excitement. With a hoot of victory he grabbed the flame-covered plates in his hands, never minding the bits that spilled and smiled widely. "Thanks, Lisanna! This is just what I needed!" In a rush, he stomped off to a nearby table and began to devour the meal.

Lisanna wasn't entirely sure if his words were meant for just the food alone or for the encouraging words she'd given as well. Bemused, she sighed and shrugged her shoulders. He was just the same as always. Turning her back to him, her eyes caught the ones of Lucy, sitting off by the bar and she looked far more relaxed now that the hall had calmed down. Mirajane had taken a seat by her and the two were obviously talking.

Assuming Mirajane was getting more information about the girl, she quickly reached behind the counter for the magic-filled stamp used to mark new members and approached them.

"Oh, so you met him in Hargeon? That boy can be a bit of a handful, can't he?"

"I guess so, but I owe him for bringing me here..."

"So you really are wanting to join, after all!"

"You bet! ...Err..I mean.. that is.. if I can... Do I need to be interviewed or anything?"

The conversation was going smoothly for the most part when Lisanna joined in and she chuckled lightly to soothe the girl. "It's nothing like that! We usually accept anyone as long as they're wanting to join us. Master doesn't get too picky about that, but he can get quite extreme if you do anything to hurt the guild."

Breaking the gentle face, Mirajane snorted and looked away, "If you ask me, he could do to be slightly pickier, but I guess it's okay." Smiling, her features softened once more, "You seem like a sweet girl!"

"Oh.. well..I.. thank you..." Lucy blushed and cast her eyes down, seemingly unsure of how to react to such words. Clicking her tongue, Lisanna opened the stamp pad and motioned for her attention.

"So, where do you want it?" She asked and found herself giggling as Lucy stared.

"Want what?" She replied, confused.

"You're mark silly! I have to stamp it to you somewhere. Is there a specific color you'd prefer?"

Embarrassed, the girl flushed and rubbed the top of her hand, almost absentmindedly as if she were remembering a fond memory. She cast her brown eyes away, not to hide herself as she did with Mirajane's compliment, but to survey to room once more. It was a quick glance, but Lisanna didn't miss when her eyes landed on Natsu before she looked to Lisanna once more and said firmly, "Pink, please... and right here." She tapped the top of her right hand for emphasis and placed her hand on the counter.

Staring into her eyes, Lisanna searched for hesitation. "Are you sure you want it there?"

"Absolutely." There was no waver in her voice and the determination in her eyes was surprising.

It took only a second and a loud pop of magic to form the mark on her skin. Lisanna only felt a small amount of pressure as she withdrew the stamp from her and noticed the feeling of complete excitement that surrounded Lucy when her eyes met with the pink symbol now permanently attached to her.

"Congratulations!" Lisanna cheered while Mirajane smiled from her stool. "You're now officially a member of Fairy Tail!"

Much like Natsu before her, Lucy's excitement exploded in her shouting a hurried 'thank you!' before she was darting across the hall towards the very same pink-haired boy. Surprised at her sudden dash, Lisanna watched as she broadcasted her new Guild Mark to the boy. His less than enthused response caused her excitement to turn into a yell of vexation and others at the table sighed at her well-endowed body when she stomped away.

Lisanna kept her eyes on the table, feeling a strange sensation boil up in her gut at the sight of them. Was she worried? Something didn't settle with her and she couldn't quite place it...

"You okay there, Lisanna?" Mirajane's voice brought her from her reverie and she blinked in confusion.

Pushing the feelings side she looked to her sister."Yeah, I think so. Just a little surprised, I guess."

Understanding, Mirajane nodded. "That makes sense. Natsu's never brought anyone to the guild before, let alone a girl." Casting her eyes back to the boy who was now marching off to the Job Board, Lisanna agreed.

She'd put the feelings away for now, Lisanna decided. It would be better to just be happy that her closest friend returned without letting a surprise like this get in the way of being cheerful. With that settled, she grabbed her tray once more and took a quick round through the crowd again to check if any one wanted another order. Mirajane stayed behind, eyes following her as she went.

Lisanna's pass ended quickly as everyone was too busy chatting and recovering from the recent brawl that many drinks were still left untouched and there was still food aplenty. Those that lost their meals to the fighting were too distracted to order more or left for the day. Feeling a familiar twinge in her leg, she returned to the bar to rest herself. Lucy had sat herself down again with an glass of orange juice.

She could just briefly hear Natsu and Happy discussing jobs to do in earnest and she let herself relax. It was natural for Natsu to rush off on jobs constantly, and she assumed his last venture out to find his father had consumed the rest of his finances. She amused herself by watching his hands skimmed the hanging papers as he considered his options and tried to guess which one he'd choose. Perhaps the one about stealing a book? She could see him enjoying the thought of acting the ninja after all or perhaps he'd look for a monster to fight? Sometimes he'd even let Happy choose a smaller mission if he was in the mood for it so maybe he'd choose the one requesting rainbow fish instead...

Happy's shriek echoed to her as he leaped in the air, "Thief subdue! 160 thousand Grand Jewels!"

Ah, so that's the one they'd pick. She should have known. He also did love being the hero. "Then it's decided!"

"Isn't my Daddy back yet?" A much smaller voice interrupted them.

Lisanna froze as the young voice of one of the children spoke up. Makarov stopped stuffing his pipe from his perch on the bar and lowered his gaze to the young boy whose eyes were tearing up. She watched as he twitched with a grim expression before the elder closed his eyes and shook his head solemnly. "No. He's not."

The boy's trembling frame had no time to respond before the master continued, "Don't complain so much, Romeo. The son of a wizard should stay at home patiently waiting for his father's safe return."

Romeo bit his lip, not satisfied by his answer. "B-but he said he'd be back in three days... and now it's been a whole week!"She could feel his pain as Romeo's voice cracked with tears unshed. It was true that Macao had been gone a long time for one of his jobs. If she remembered correctly, it was the one on Mt. Hakobe that had been littered with unruly Vulcan's as of late. With a tight squeeze to her heart, Lisanna felt Romeo's pain. They were all worried about Macao, but what more could they do?

"Mt. Hakobe isn't that far away!" Romeo interrupted, hands now clenched to his sides. "Please go look for him! I'm worried something bad happened!"

"Don't even joke about that, boy!" Makarov snapped causing many of the eavesdropping guild members to wince. No one liked it when he took that tone."Your father is a wizard isn't he? Any wizard who can't hack the easy stuff doesn't belong in the guild! Have more faith in your father, go home and drink some milk or something!"

Ouch... even Lisanna had to admit, that was a little mean of him. The boy had been stunned to silence, but quickly rallied as he kicked himself into the air and firmly planted his fist right into the Master's Nose.

"I HATE YOU ALL!" He shouted as he dashed out of the hall, sobbing loudly.

"Oh.. poor Romeo..." Lisanna muttered, holding a hand to her chest. "I really hope Macao is okay for his sake..."

Sounding much the same as Lisanna felt, Lucy spoke under her breath, "He was pretty tough with the kid, wasn't he?"

It was a thought many of them were thinking, but Lisanna couldn't help but feel defensive at her words. Turning to look at the blonde, she saw the concern on the girl's face and immediately her ire deflated. She'd never been in a guild before. She didn't understand that Makarov had to be tough on Romeo, even if it hurt.

Hiding her face in her bangs, Mirajane was the one to answer her. "He may talk tough, but I'm sure the Master is pretty worried himself." Her voice was solemn and Lisanna could easily catch the slight shake in her shoulders. The strong take-over mage had lost herself in memories and Lisanna frowned. She'd have to have a talk with her sister about that. It had been two years now.. surely she wasn't feeling guilty still?

"Hey Natsu! You broke the board, man!" Nab's voice brought her attention back to the dragon slayer she had been watching earlier. He had grown quiet as he slammed the job mission back onto the board, breaking its surface before quietly leaving the hall. Happy followed behind him as they went and she wasn't surprised when he grabbed his travel bags once more as he left.

"Master! I think Natsu is going to go after Macao!"

As a few other members shouted to Makarov over the boys actions, Lisanna kept her eyes on the front doors, teeth clenched together while her hands twitched. She could understand. If she was capable of that, she'd probably be right behind him ready to go too. Shaking her head, she turned in her seat and was surprised to see Lucy watching the front doors as well.

"What's gotten into him? Why'd he go off so suddenly?" She asked, clearly confused, She kept her now marked hand on the counter even as she kept her gaze to the entrance.

"Because he's just like Romeo." Mirajane answered as she finally stood from her seat and stretched her arms. "Natsu's father disappeared too and he's never returned. Well, not his real father, but the one who raised him. You know.. the dragon he was looking for?"

As Lucy gaped in shock at the older woman and stated her disbelief, Lisanna found herself joining their conversation once again. "Yes! Igneel! When Natsu was very little, he took him in and taught him everything he knows: speech, culture, magic. But he just disappeared and left him all alone. It's very sad..."

The blonde nodded her head, "So.. that's why he was..at Hargeon. That's Igneel."

Lisanna grinned, happy she was getting it. "Yup! He's really hoping to find him again!"

"Yeah, it's kind of cute when you think about it." Mirajane added before casting her gaze to Lisanna. "I'm thinking of getting a short job with Elfman, will you be okay?"

Her eyes narrowed. "Mira... of course I will!"

"You're right. Sorry. I just worry sometimes."

"I know you do, but just come home safe and I'll be happy." Her older sister agreed before she left to find Elfman and Lisanna smiled halfheartedly. They really did need to have another talk again. Looking back towards Lucy, she blinked when she realized the blonde was quickly finishing the last of her juice and sliding from her seat. "Are you going somewhere?"

She was quiet for a moment and her fingers rubbed across her new guild mark. "Yeah, I'm fine. I just... I'm going with them!"

"What?" Lisanna reached for her stunned, "Lucy wait I-" the girl stubbornly left the counter and shouted a quick 'thank you!' as she went. Her shoulders were squared together as she moved with a purpose. With a sigh and the strange, clenching rising in her chest again, Lisanna sat back and frowned. "...I wish I could go too." She finished to the air.

It didn't take long for the sun to set and for Lisanna to hear word of Macao's return. He had been terribly wounded, but the guild felt much lighter with his fate no longer a creeping darkness in the backs of their minds. Lucy had been given a place to sleep for the night before she looked for a house to rent and Natsu had returned home with his spirits high. Mirajane and Elfman had found their own mission to take part in and took a late night train leaving Lisanna alone for the next couple of days.

It wasn't so bad. Her home was much quieter without her siblings around, but she was used to it and it gave her time to herself. She had also hoped it would give her time to adjust to Lucy. The girl was now the topic of much gossip around the guild. If not for her looks, loud voice and pure need to fit in, it was about the odd fact that Natsu had brought her. He was loud and boisterous himself, but was just as well known for keeping his team between him and Happy as he was for his love of consuming fire.

Naturally, once Lucy had finally found a home to rent, the news spread like wildfire in the Guild and many wanted go congratulate the girl when she finally made it back to the guild. She was a new family member, of course the excitement was strong. So when Natsu came in the guild the morning after, asking for breakfast and unaware of the news, Lisanna wasn't surprised by his reaction.

"What? Already?" He gaped through a mouthful of food. He was sitting at the bar this time, alongside Lisanna who was cleaning out many glasses that had been dirtied that morning.

"That's right! I hear she got a small place on Strawberry St. Did she not know about Fairy Hills?" She asked, humming softly. The boys returning grumble caught her attention and she smiled at him. "I guess you didn't tell her about that."

He almost looked guilty. "Why should I? It's not my job to tell her where to live. I just brought her here."

She took this as a good moment to finally ask what had been on her mind since he'd first returned with the blonde in tow. "That reminds me.. Why did you bring her here, Natsu?"

"Eh?" He looked puzzled, teeth already slowly ripping into the steak he had on his plate.

Lisanna shrugged and tried again. "I mean, you don't usually bring people home to join the guild. I was just curious how you met her is all." His eyes lit up in understanding the bright smile he was known for suddenly graced his face, dropping many crumbs to the counter.

"Well, at first I wasn't gonna." He replied, thinking back. "She talked a lot about things I wasn't really paying attention to, but it was obvious she was excited about something. Then she somehow crashed the entire ship we were on into the harbor and I just thought she'd fit right in here pullin' stunts like that!"

"Is that all?" She almost felt as if he was hiding something, but he merely shrugged and started into his meal again.

"Well, no, but it hardly matters." He supplied, eyeing the fire drink she had set next to him."I heard she was tricked into thinking she'd get to come here and...she looked lonely I guess. In the eyes."

Of course he'd notice that about someone and want to help. That was just like him. Smiling, she wondered if she would have been there to see it if her leg hadn't been damaged, but squashed the thought. There was no point in dwelling on that. "Where's Happy?" That was a much safer topic.

"He's looking for a job for us!" Finishing his meal, he shoved his over sized plate aside and looked at her. "Hey, you smell a little off, are you okay?"

"Wha-? Natsu, don't just smell people, that's creepy!"

"I can't help it!"

"Oh you silly... what am I going to do with you?" Laughing she brushed hair out of her eyes and shook her head. "There's nothing wrong at any rate. I'm just a little lonely with Mirajane and Elfman gone."

The boy snorted and narrowed his eyes at her. "They'll be back Lisanna, they always are. You got all of your friends here. No point in being lonely."

"You're right. Sometimes, you can be pretty smart, Natsu"

"You're darn right I a-..hey wait, what do you mean by sometimes?!"

Still laughing, Lisanna waved a hand as she teased him. "Oh nothing- how did things go with Macao? I never heard how that went."

Properly distracted, the dragon slayer waved his arms exuberantly. "Well he apparently was one of those Vulcan's and I sort of burned him up pretty bad while we were fighting! I kicked his tail though and Lucy was more useful than I thought she would be."

She held back a grimace. "Oh really?" Where had that come from?

"Yeah, at first me and Happy just thought she was loud and complained a lot. I mean, she came with us without even knowing it would be cold and what Monsters we were fighting. And then she whined about wanting to go home! It was annoying." He tilted his back as he spoke and Lisanna watched in silence as he went through the events again.

"But.. then I fell off the mountain and she didn't hesitate to get one of her weird key-spirits to come out to fight and help us. I don't know much about how they work or what they are, but I probably would have been in serious trouble without her there..."

There it was. That pain again. Why did it have to hurt to hear him say that. Was she feeling jealous? "Well, I'm glad to know she was able to help you Natsu- especially since you got Macao home safe and sound."

"You bet I did!" Natsu replied.

"Hey Natsu! I found one!" Happy flew up in between them and held a paper in front of the pink-head's nose and swished his tail. "I think this one would be great! It's got a good bounty on it!"

Natsu's eyes scanned the paper and his smile broadened. "This is perfect, little buddy! I bet she can't say no to this!"

"Aye!"

Lisanna blinked, "Umm. Who?"

"Lucy of course! We're gonna celebrate her finding a new home and joining the guild by having her team up with us for a mission! Right Happy?"

"Aye sir!"

Team up? Lisanna tilted her head and tried to hide the waver in her voice. "You.. you never team up with anyone Natsu. Are you sure?"

"Absolutely," He didn't seem to notice her change in mood as his excitement grew. "And this mission is the best pick! Lets go Happy! We can go see her new home too and see if it's good place or not!"

The cat shouted his agreement before waving to Lisanna in farewell. "Lisanna, we'll be back later! We're taking that Duke Everlue mission first though!"

Waving and shell-shocked, Lisanna shouted after them as they went, "Just be safe you too! I'll let the Master know!"

"All right! I'm all fired up now!" Natsu exclaimed.

With a horrid sense of de-ja vu, Lisanna watched them rush out once again and sighed. Perhaps it was jealousy or was it fear that he was getting a new friend to take her place? She wasn't sure,but the happy excitement he had in his eyes was far better than the downcast ones he usually had after running into a dead end when following a rumor. Lucy had definitely struck a chord with him somewhere... Lisanna just wasn't sure where.

"Well.. I'll be here when you get back." She said to no one in particular before returning to her dish washing. She was going to be just fine, she decided. She'd just sit back and see how everything unfolded. After all, how bad could it be for Natsu to ask someone to join his team? What could one mission do? He was still her friend and that would never change.

Never. She was going to be just fine.

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><p><strong>And that's it! It's long, I know. And it took me forever to write it, but I feel satisfied to know that I was able to get it done.<br>**

**I named this one-shot after the First chapter in the Manga and decided that if Lisanna had never died, she wouldn't have come out of that mission with Mirajane and Elfman unscathed. That's why I gave her a wounded leg instead of just being gone. With her not leaving, I also wanted Mirajane to be a mixture of her old self and her more softer side, so that was fun trying to work around. All in all, this was not easy to write. **

**Hopefully you all enjoyed reading it though!**

**-M.L. Groves**


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